Combined automatic train-pipe and car coupling mechanism.



G. WESTINGHOUSE. "COMBINED AUTMATIG TRAIN PIPE AND CAF. COUPLINGMBGHNISEL APPLGATIH E'ILED MAY2S.1908

2 SEEETS-SKEET WITNESSES G. WESTINGHOUSB. COMBINED AUTOMATIC TRAIN PIPEAND UAR GOUPLING MEGHANI'SM.

APPLICATION FILED MAYZS, v190B- Patented Feb. 23, 915.

Z .SHEETS-SHEET 2.

GEORG- WESTNGHOUSE. OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE WEST-INGHOUSE-AIR BRAKE COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORA- 'nonor PnnNsYLvANn.

COVIBNED AUTOMATIC TRAIN-PIPE AND CAR COUPLING- MECHANI-SM.

messes.

Speccation of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 23, 1915.

Grginal application filed April 12, 150-, Serial No. 311284. Divided andthis application filed May 23,

T0 aZZ whom t may concern Be it known that l, GEORGE vVEsTiNG- HOUSE, acitizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county ofAlleglieny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Combined Automatic Train-Pipeand Car Coupling Mechanism,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates in general to railway draft appliances, and moreparticularly to automatic coupling devices for such mechanism, and fortrain air pipe connections such as employed in air brake or other fluidpressure systems, this application being a division of my formerapplication, lSerial No. 31128l, filed April 12, 1906.

Une object of my invention is to provide a hollow or tubular draw-haradapted to cooperate with that type of automatic coupler head having apassage leading' to an openin the tace of the coupler and adapted tomake a fluid tight connection with a similar A passage in a counter partcoupler when the two are coupled together, whereby the passage throughthe draw-bar forms part of a conduit for fluid pressure, such as com-,pressed air, through the train.

2 .-\nother feature of my invention relates to an improved automaticcoupler head adapted to coperate with a laterally flexible draft spring,and having an enlarged gathering 'hood and preferably formed in twolongitudinalparts which may be secured together by any suitable means.

Another object is to provide -improved means for manually operating thelatch 0f the automatic coupler, and a cock for controlling the conduitor `passage in the coupler head; and still another reature of theinvention comprises means carried by the automatic coupler head forconnecting additional lines of huid pressure conduits or -electric linecircuits.

ln the accompanying drawings; Figure 1 is a central horizontal sectionof a spring draft gear with my improved automatic coupler and tubulardraw-bar; Fig. 2 a side elevation of the automatic coupler head, with apart 'of the gathering hood broken away t6 show the coupling faces; Fig.3 an end view of the coupler, showing means for coupling an additionalfluid pressure Serial No. 434,450.

conduit; Fig. l a plan View of the coupler head with the end of the.additional iiuid pressure conduit shown in horizontal section; Figs. 5and 6 fragmentary views showing an 'end elevation and longitudinalsection of a modified form of additional coupling; F 1g. 7 an invertedplan of a modified form of coupler head and a part of the end of a car,showing an improved mechanism for manually operating the latch and cockfrom the side of the car; Fig. S a transverse section with parts brokenaway to more fully show certain detail connections but with theadditional port shown in Fig. 7 omitted; Fig. 9 a side elevation of aportion of the coupler head showing a cam and lever for operating thelatch, this view also having the additional port of Fig. 7 omitted; Fig.10 a horizontal section of the operating shaft;

Fig. 11 a detail view of the cam device; Fig. 12 a detail view of thesegmental gear for operating the cock.

.According to the construction shown in Fig. 1 my present improvementsare shown applied in connection with a spring draft gear similar to thatcovered in the hereinhefore mentioned application, and coinprisestubular draw-bar l which extends longitudinally through the coil .of adraft spring. the section 8 of which is fastened to the head 19 of thedraw-bar, while the section 1 extends inwardly toward the car. rThespring is supported at a central or intermediate portion of a casing Q,having an outwardly arranged flaring portion, so that owing to theelest-icity of the spring, the ends of the spring sections 1 and 3 havea certain lateral flexibility which permits a limited transversemovement of the coupler or end of the draw-bar to which these springsections may7 be connected.

The draw-har l is provided with a passage 6 extending therethrough andconnected at its outer end to my improved form of automatic coupler head1T, having a registering passage T leading to the gasket opening in theface of the coupler, for coupling a fluid pressure conduit, such ascompressed air line through the train, a hose il being connected at theinner end of the draw-har.

The automatic coupling head 1T is similar in some respects to thatcovered by my prior Patent, No. 708,747, of September 9. 1902,comprising the forward projecting portion 10 on one side and a recess'portion on the other side, adapted to engage a corresponding recess andprojection of a counterpart coupling on an adjacent car when the two arecoupled'together; the longitudinal face of the coupling being providedwith vertical ribs 11 having inclined sides for locking againstcorresponding ribs on the co-acting coupling head. A latch or lockinglever 12 is pivoted on the vertical shaft 13 and is normally pressedoutwardly by the spring 14 for engaging a suitable hearing surface onthe-outer side of the projecting portion 10 of a counterpart coupler,after the vertical rib ,portions 11 have slipped past each other andthereby firmly lock'the two coupler heads together, all

as fully set forthv in my prior patent above referred to.

According to my present improvements, an enlarged gathering hood l5 is.provided :tor the purpose of obtaining an automatic engagement of thetwo parts of the coupler, even though these are laterally somewhat outof alinement, due to track curvature, or other reasons,and in order tofacilitate the machining of the surfaces, the coupler head is preferablyformed in vtwo longitudinal parts 16 and 17, which maybe securedtogether by transverse bolts, as indicated. Another advantage of thisdivided arrangement is that,'in caseof breakage of the hood or otherpart, it is only necessary to renew one half of the coupler head.-

- The head -19 of the draw-bar r ay be i screwed into the shank of thecouph f head,

threaded parts of the couplerto spread at' this point. For manuallyoperating the locking lever 12, a crank arm Q3 may be pro` vided on theupper end of the shaft 13, and on this arm is pivoted a hook-shapedpaa'l '24C having a handle 25, which may he moved around until thepaivlengages a notch 26 on the casing andtherrhy hold the lever l2 inits release position with spring li compressed. This is the position forunconpling, butwhen tvfo members are to he coupled the paul 2l should bereleased from the notches'in order to alloyv the springs 1-1 to .forcethe levers 12 to locking position- It'- it be desired to provide acoupling for one or more additional iiuid pressure conduits or electric'circuits through the train,

lthe rib 11 on the coupler face, as shown in the cock from the side ofthe car.

'1.3.29 aaa this may be done hy i'orming a vertical'lug 'E27 on thecoupler head, as shown in Figs'. 3

Figs. 3 and 4, so that vas the two coupler heads slide upon each otherinto locking po sition the gaskets 31 of the two counterpari couplerswill be forced and clamped directly against each other forming a tightbutt joint.

t will he noticed that the coil spring sec tions 1 and 3 are soyai'.r:.inged in a zzed casing 2 that the axis of the spring and coupierhead,'indicated by the dotted line makes an angle with the centerline'of the car, indicated by the dotted line {te-y, se, that thecoupler head is normally detlected a slight' distance Ato yone'side'ofthe' center line of the car. This is for the purpose of facilitatingthecoupling of the vcars upon a curved track and to'insure the engagementof .the'pointed projection 10 of one vcoupler head with the counterpartlcoupler Curved track the projecting portions 10er the two' couplerheads .would engage each other upon theirouter sides and thus fail tocouple together automatically, hut this ca'nnot occur Where the couplerheads are normally deflected suiliciently to one side of the :enterline, as illustrated in the drawing.

After the two members are coupled together, and the draft stresses areapplied the springs readily flex laterally. so that the axes of the tivomembers are brought into alinement.

Alf desired a stop cock d2 may be mounted in the part-17 of the couplerhead for controlling the passage 7 of the luid pressure v conduit, andmeans may he employed for manually operating the coupler latch and Sucha mechanism may preferably be designed Vto embody a iie'xible connectionto the operating devices on the coupler head, in order not to interferewith lateral swinging movevvnent of lthe coupler on the end of theelastic spring section, and this constitutes one or the importantfeatures of my invention.

trie form of lieiziele mechanical connection embodying this feature ofmy improve nient is illustrated on Sheet 2 of the drawings, wherein anoperating shaft 2;' is transversely mounted in a hearing on the couplerjection 43 on the shaft 32 serves to engage the segmental gear .40, andalso permits a lost motion or small independent movement ot' the shaftrelative to the sleeve 39.

On a square portion 44 of the shaft 32 is mounted a cam device 45 havinga projection 46 with a curved surface adapted toengage a curved end 47of a lever armv 48 mountedy on the stem or shaft 13 of the latch 12 ofthe coupler. The cam device 45 may also be provided With a projectinglug 49 adapted in one position to engage a notch 50 in the lever 48, sothat the spring 51, which is mounted on the shaft 32 between thecamdevice 45V and an adjustable nut 52, serves,to assist the latch spring14 to hold the latch 12 in its locked positiony when two members arecoupled together.

`When it is desired to uncouple, the handle 38 is partially rotated, thesame movement being transmitted through thel llexiblev connection to theshaft 32, the segment 43 engages the segmental gear 40 causing the sameto operate the gear 41 and close the cock 42, -at the same time the lug49 is with# drawn from the notch and by a further movement the camsurface 46 engages the curved' lever 47 and rotates the stem 13 toWithdraw the latch 12 and release the coupler. vWhen two cars are to becoupled togethenthe' handles 38 are partially rotated in the oppositedirection, thereby turning the shaft 32 sutliciently to release the camfrom the latch' lever and permit the spring 14 to extend the latch 12.The lost lmotion between the segments 43 and 40 allows for this movementof the shaft without actuating the gears 40 and 41 or the cock 42. Thecoupler heads of the adjacent ends of the cars 'are then broughttogether by impact, the members engaging each other and the latchspringing ,out to lock said members together in the usual Way. `Thehandles 38 are then given a further partial turn to rotate the gears-40and 4l and open the cock 42, at the some timeA the lug 49 is moved intothe notch 50 of the latch lever so that the latch cannot 'then beunlocked Without compressing both the springs 14 and 5l, therebypreventing any accidental uncoupling of the members.

lIt Will now be apparent that by means of the flexible mechanicalconnections between:-

the hand operated shaft at the,side of the car and the 'operating devicecarried onv the coupler head, the lateral or swinging movernent of thecoupler head will not be interfered With in any manner, and furthermore,that however much the' coupler may be deected from the center line, boththe latch,

and the cock 'controlling the fluid pressure conduit may be readilymanipulated from the side of the can-'thereby rendering it unnecessaryto go between the' cars for any purpose during the operation of couplingand uncoupling.

Having 110W described my inventiomvvhat' I claimas new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is i,-

l. In a combined pipe and car coupler,

the combination with an automatic coupler head having an air`passage andcock and subject Yto a lateral swinging movement, of telescoping rod'sections operatively connected to said cock for turning the same and'manually operated means extending frena the side of' the car foroperating said rod sections. p

2. In av'combined pipe and car coupling, an automatic coupler head`having a projecting portionjwith a vertical locking rib provided with:an inclined side, means for locking the same against a correspondingressure conduit havin@ an o eninv containing a gasket arranged'substantially at right ngles to theinclined face of the lockme' r1 ad.In a combined pipe'and car coupling, an automatic coupler having aspring actu-A ated latch mechanism and a cock for controlling a luidpressure conduit, an operating shaft mounted on the coupler and providedwith a cam device for operating the latch mechanism, and a gearconnection for operating the cock, an additional spring. and means forcausing said spring to act upon the latch mechanism to assist in holdingthe same in locked position.-

4. In a combined pipe and car coupler, an automatic coupler having aspring actuated latch mechanism and a cock for controlling a fluidpressure conduit, an` additional spring, and manually operated means forcausing said spring to act upon the latch mechanism to assist in holdingthe same in locked position and for operating said cock. i

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set WM. IFI. Carni., H. C.

